Building Regulations were first introduced in 1964 and whilst they have been constantly updated and review, their sole purpose has always been to ensure that whatever has been built has been constructed safely and to the current appropriate standards.
When a building regulation submission is made by a home owner or contractor, the relevant structural calculations and details will be supplied for checking by Building Control.
For a new build house, this submission is followed up by three site visits to ensure adequate workmanship. The first is to inspect the footings ( before the concrete is poured), the second to check the main structural items have been installed correctly (before they are plastered over) and finally to review the electric installation (before the house is handed over to the owner).
However it was recognised that this number of site visits was not required for more simple renovation so the Building Notice was introduced. This system still involves the submission of calculations and details but only involves one site visit (to check the installation of structural members). If everything is satisfactory then a Building Regulation Certificate is issued and this should be stored with your other house documents to provide a service history of your property.
Then, should you ever come to sell your house, a building surveyor may spot that a wall has been removed and ask for evidence is what structural member was introduced in its place. At this point you can produce the certificate and that should satisfy all parties.
The Building Notice is an online process with an administration fee being raised by the relevant Building Control authority.
The key to remember is that regardless of which process is used, the same certificate is issued but the Building Control route is best suited for simple wall removal works and can be regarded as Building Regulations Lite. Whilst Building Notice could be used for larger projects, we would recommend that for kitchen extensions, garden room builds and attic conversions, the traditional Building Regulation process is utilised.
Images
Kitchen wall removal – 31 Burnmill Road
Bi-fold door installation – 56 Burnmill Road
